What I Never Knew I Always Wanted
by closeto30
Summary: Inspired by the lyrics of "What I Never Knew I Always Wanted" by Carrie Underwood (from the Storyteller album). Claudia and Steve find unexpected love and happiness with each other. Cuteness overload for the Clinks lovers among us.
1. Dressed in White

**A/N: This story is based entirely on the lyrics of Carrie Underwood's "What I Never Knew I Always Wanted". If you haven't heard it, look it up, because it's a gorgeous song. I don't own the song, or Warehouse 13, or the associated characters, but the love for all is strong.  
**

* * *

 _Never was the kind to think about dressing in white...  
_

She was on the verge of having a panic attack. As she took in her reflection in the mirror, she felt her heart rate start to accelerate, and the butterflies that she'd had fluttering in her stomach all morning all suddenly seemed to take full-fledged flight. Swallowing hard against the constricting tightness in her throat, she raised a shaking hand to reach for a lock of her hair to nervously tug on. Before her fingers could reach their destination, however, they were smacked away.

"Claudia, stop it," Myka scolded gently. "We don't have enough time to fix your hair again."

Claudia shot Myka panicked look as she pressed her palms against the corseted bodice of her dress.

"Myka, I can't breathe," she squeaked out, her eyes wide with terror. "I can't do this. This is insane!"

"Claud, sweetheart, just relax," Myka soothed, reaching out to grasp Claudia's hands in her own. "It's just the jitters talking. It's normal. You're ok."

"Jitters?" Claudia yelped. "Myka, this is not jitters! I'm going to pass out!"

"Claudia, look at me," Myka snapped authoritatively, and gasping for air, Claudia attempted to focus on her friend's face. Myka gave Claudia a reassuring smile as she squeezed her fingers.

"Remember last year, when I was freaking out about marrying Pete?" she asked gently, and Claudia gave her an affirmative whimper as she nodded. "What was it that you told me to get me to calm down?"

"That you and Pete were meant for each other," Claudia finally managed to squeak out, the panic already starting to fade from her eyes as she spoke. "That you loved him, and you were the reason I believed in love at all. You guys were, are, destiny."

"Now, do I need to repeat all of that back to you?" Myka asked, a smirk playing on her lips. Claudia rolled her eyes as she let go of Myka's hands and turned back to the mirror.

"No," she muttered, a blush settling over her cheeks. "You made your point, as always."

Myka gave her a satisfied grin.

"I didn't think it was possible, but I think you two might be even more in love than Pete and I are," she murmured, watching as a dopey grin took over Claudia's face.

"Yeah, who would have thought?" Claudia commented softly, studying her reflection again in the mirror. If she'd have been told a year ago that she'd be dressed in white, and about to marry her best friend in the whole world, she would have told everyone that they were crazy. Of course, Steve had always been right by her side, and Claudia had no doubt that they'd always be together, which is why it didn't seem at all unusual to her that he'd joined her in taking full advantage of the open bar at Myka and Pete's wedding. They had giggled their way through too many shots, and several glasses of champagne, and then had progressed to stumbling around the dance floor, spinning and laughing and jumping around goofily until Artie had quietly hinted that the pair might be better off calling it a night. Still sniggering, Claudia had taken Steve's hand and dragged him towards the elevators, snagging a half full bottle of champagne off of the bar on the way past. The pair had staggered down the hotel hallway, Steve's arm slung around Claudia's shoulders as they giggled together over words that weren't even funny. As they reached the end of the hallway, Claudia dropped the champagne bottle they'd drained on the way upstairs as she tripped over the hem of her dress, and she suddenly found herself pinned against her hotel room door, Steve's hands braced either side of her head. Their foreheads were almost touching, and Claudia let out another drunken snigger as she looked up into Steve's perfect crystal eyes. She could smell tequila, but she honestly wasn't sure if it was on her own breath or Steve's.

"Hey Jinksy," she murmured, half-greeting and half-enquiring.

"Yes," Steve answered her, the last letter slurring as he chuckled. His hand crept sideways on the door, his fingers reaching to twist into Claudia's hair. Claudia bit down on her lower lip.

"Jinksy, will you do something for me?"

"Anything," Steve said huskily. Claudia let out a shaky breath.

"Kiss me," she whispered. Steve didn't even hesitate before he leaned forward and placed his lips on hers. To Claudia, in that moment, the whole world seemed to pause, and all she was aware of was Steve's closeness and the feel of his lips and the way he tasted. She actually let out a whimper when Steve finally pulled away from her.

"What was that?" she gasped, hesitantly touching her fingers to her lips. "Steve, did you feel that?"

Steve answered her question by taking her face in his hands and kissing her again. What followed to Claudia was still a blur of hastily opened doors, frantic kissing and the pair of them breaking apart only long enough to shed their clothing and fall onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and gasping breaths. Claudia woke up the next morning when the sunlight streaming in from a gap in the curtains hit her eyelids, and immediately felt her heart start to race as a quick assessment revealed that a very naked Steve was snoring softly beside her, and that she too was in a similar state of undress. She was lying there with the bed sheet gripped to her chest, trying not to cry out loud over the fact that she'd very likely just destroyed her relationship with the best friend she'd ever had, when a hand reached out and turned her face so that her eyes met a set of beautiful blue ones. Steve stroked a thumb across her cheekbone as he stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, and then with a soft smile, he whispered that he loved her, that he always had, and that he was all in. It was all so simple, and just like that, Claudia found herself with a man that was not only her best friend, but the love of her life. They may have been inseparable as friends, but as a couple, Claudia and Steve were never apart. Their relationship was a giddy ride that Claudia could never quite believe that she was on, and time flew by so fast that it seemed to Claudia that they'd only been together for a couple of months when she turned around one day while doing inventory on the Warehouse floor and found Steve down on one knee with a diamond ring in his outstretched hand and a hopeful look in his eyes. Claudia had been so flabbergasted that the only reason she was sure she'd given an affirmative answer was that Steve had delightedly swept her into his arms and kissed her enthusiastically before sliding the ring onto Claudia's left ring finger. Having never been the kind of girl who had sat around imagining that one day she would be engaged, Claudia had no idea what she wanted when it came to weddings, so she'd left a lot of the planning to Steve and to Myka, and it wasn't until her wedding day arrived that it dawned on Claudia that she was actually getting married. Now, panic attack averted, she couldn't stop staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"You look beautiful, Claud," Myka told her warmly, resting her hand on Claudia's shoulder.

"I'm pretty, but I don't look like me," Claudia said softly in reply. "Is it too late to get my Chucks and jeans back?"

Myka chuckled as she cocked her head to the side.

"Something is missing though," she mused.

"I believe that I can help with that."

Both Myka and Claudia whipped around at the familiar low and steady voice that came from behind them. The owner of the voice gave them her own version of a satisfied smirk.

"Agent Bering," Mrs Frederic murmured by way of greeting. "Miss Donovan. Or should I take to calling you Mrs Jinks?"

Claudia gave a hesitant laugh.

"Turn around," Mrs Frederic instructed softly, and Claudia obeyed, jumping slightly when Mrs Frederic reached around her and then fastened a string of pearls around her neck. Claudia put a hand to her throat as she gaped at her own reflection.

"You're giving me your pearls?" she asked incredulously. Mrs Frederic grunted in amusement.

"Loaning," she corrected. "Now you have your something borrowed, in line with the old traditions."

"Of course!" Myka chimed in. "Now all you need is something blue -"

"Uh, hello?" Claudia interjected, waving at the neon blue streak worked into her hair. "Blue is covered. And my dress surely counts as something new."

"So, we just need something old then," Myka shot back as she good-humouredly rolled her eyes.

"Geez, what a pity we didn't think of that, you know, when we were back in that giant place full of ancient stuff where we work," Claudia snarked.

"Ladies, I believe that I might be of assistance," came a voice from the doorway, and Claudia felt her heart start to pound. It may have been her wedding day, and having Steve think she looked beautiful was important, but to Claudia, only one man's opinion really mattered. Slowly, she turned towards the doorway, and felt a blush start to creep across her cheeks as Artie's mouth dropped open.

"Oh, Claudia," he managed to croak out.

"Artie, do I look ok?" the redhead asked hesitantly, twisting her engagement ring around her finger as had become her nervous habit. She watched as Artie stepped into the room, his lower lip wobbling.

"You look like royalty," Artie said thickly, tears brimming in his eyes. "My girl, you are a vision."

Claudia let out a whimper as she swallowed hard against the lump that had formed in her throat.

"Damn it, Artie!" she whined, fanning at her face with her hand. "Don't make me cry!"

Artie sniffled even as he chuckled, and beside Claudia, Myka pressed her fingers to the corners of her eyes to stop her own tears. Even Mrs Frederic looked emotional. Artie looked as though he was about to launch into a speech, so Myka deliberately flicked her eyes towards the clock on the wall before she spoke.

"You were saying, Artie, about having something old for Claudia?" she prompted, and Artie blinked before he rummaged around in the pocket of his jacket and finally presented a velvet jewellery box. He cracked it open, revealing a set of pearl and diamond teardrop earrings.

"These were my grandmother's, and my mother's after that," Artie explained. "They were given to me, to be passed on to my daughter on her wedding day." He paused to give Claudia a wobbly smile.

"You're the only daughter I'll ever have," he croaked, gazing at her proudly. "I'd be honoured if you would wear these."

Claudia was already hastily removing the costume jewellery studs in her ears, pressing them into Myka's outstretched hand before she took the vintage earrings from Artie. Once they were firmly secured in her ears, she stepped forward and wrapped Artie in a hug.

"You're the best father I could have asked for," she murmured in his ear. Artie huffed out a sigh against her shoulder before he pulled out of her embrace.

"Shouldn't I be walking you down the aisle, or something?" he grumbled, straightening his glasses. Claudia glanced up at the clock and let out a sudden squeak.

"Oh sweet goddess!" she yelped, panic crossing her face again. Myka forced a bouquet of lilies into Claudia's hands.

"Claud, honey, there is literally no time for me to talk you down again," Myka said in her no-nonsense tone. "You need to pull yourself together, this instant, you hear me?"

Her Bambi eyes wide, Claudia glanced from Myka to Mrs Frederic to Artie, all the while trying to calm her breathing. They all looked back at her, their faces all reflecting reassuring smiles. Her heart still racing, Claudia held out a shaking had towards Artie.

"Ok," she whispered, not quite believing herself as she spoke. "I'm ready."

* * *

In the end, it turned out all that she really needed was Steve. As she paused with Artie at the end of the aisle so that Myka could walk on ahead of them, Claudia looked up and found herself staring directly at the man she loved, who was staring back at her with an elated grin plastered on his face. In an instant, Claudia felt all of her fears fade away, and a smile to match Steve's tugged at her lips. Claudia barely remembered the ceremony itself, only the strong grip of Steve's hands, the fact that his eyes never left hers, and the feeling in her heart that she was finally whole. Later, at their reception, as Steve led her in lazy circles around the dance floor, Claudia let out a contented sigh as she rested her cheek against her new husband's shoulder. Steve chuckled softly as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"You ok there, Mrs Jinks?" he murmured.

"Donovan-Jinks," Claudia corrected, lifting her head so that she could smile at him. Steve laughed again as he kissed her gently.

"That's going to be a mouthful for our kids," he commented with a grin.

"Whoa, easy tiger," Claudia shot back with a nervous laugh. "We have a long way to go before we have to worry about that."

"Of course," Steve replied, even though the smirk on his face made Claudia think that her new husband supposed otherwise. She rolled her eyes at him, and Steve kissed the tip of her nose.

"Are you happy, my love?" he murmured questioningly, and Claudia's whole face softened as she looked up at him.

"Insanely," she told him. "I didn't know I could feel like this." She rested her cheek back on Steve's shoulder as they continued to sway back and forth.

"Jinksy, are you happy?" she whispered after a moment. Steve didn't even hesitate before answering.

"I love you," he told her. "You've always made me happy. I'll be happy for the rest of my life, as long as you're beside me."


	2. Singing Lullabies

_Never pictured myself singing lullabies  
_

Just over a year later, around two o'clock in the morning, Claudia's eyes flicked open as a familiar sound filtered down the hallway of the split-level house in suburban New Jersey that she called home. Beside her, Steve grunted softly into a pillow, but he didn't wake up. Huffing out a sleepy sigh, Claudia hauled herself out of their bed and padded slowly down the hall, flicking on a small lamp as she entered the room at the end of the hall. Yawning, she shuffled across the room so that she could peer down at the source of the noise. Her daughter made a mewling sound from inside her crib.

"That's not even a real cry," Claudia murmured accusingly, leaning down and scooping the infant into her arms. Three-month-old Aria snuffled against her shoulder in reply, and Claudia rolled her eyes even as she smiled. Backing up slowly, Claudia sank down into the rocking chair in the corner of the room, and then unhooked the strap of her camisole to allow her child to feed. Claudia watched Aria with a fond expression, stroking the baby's cheek with a fingertip before she leaned her head back and gazed out of the window at the night sky. Falling pregnant as quickly as she did had never been in Claudia's plans, though she still suspected Steve had been hoping for it all along. It was Steve after all who had slid the brown paper bag across Claudia's desk one day after his wife had spent nearly a week toting around a bucket due to constant nausea, but it was Claudia who furiously threw the positive pregnancy test at her husband once she emerged from the bathroom. Steve couldn't hide his elation, but Claudia was livid. She screamed every abusive name under the sun at Steve, and then stormed out of the Warehouse office. Steve had found her almost an hour later crying her eyes out on the floor of the Tesla section. Claudia fought off the soothing motions she'd been expecting, and continued to give Steve the silent treatment over the following weeks while she sulked and puked on alternate days. Her anger was all a front, and even though Claudia suspected Steve knew that, he gave her the distance she demanded, and made her fall even more in love with him. The honest truth was, Claudia wasn't sure how she felt about being a mom. She'd told Steve that she wanted to wait for that specific reason; figuring that Myka and Pete would have a couple of kids first and that she could use them to gauge her own feelings. Claudia's memories of her own parents were fuzzy at best; she remembered them being kind and warm, but they'd been unsure of how to handle Claudia's genius, and had spent more time with Claire and Josh than with their youngest child. Foster care had been a living hell, and the psychiatric facility was a lingering memory she couldn't quite erase, but the long and short of it was that the only real parent Claudia had ever known was Artie. While that relationship was one that she cherished with all her heart, it was also completely unconventional. Claudia had no real experience of parenting to draw from, and her uncertainty was overwhelming, so she continued to do what she always did, and hid what she felt under a deep layer of snark. She fought against her pregnancy as loudly as possible, howling at her reflection when her skinny jeans no longer did up, complaining when Pete ate aromatic foods around her, and deliberately ignoring Artie when he hinted that she should start to slow down on Warehouse artifact recoveries. Through it all, despite her attitude, Steve stood by his best friend's side; leaving new pairs of maternity jeans and looser shirts in her closet, throwing out Pete's burritos, and dutifully following Claudia every time she left the Warehouse. He took to conversing regularly with Claudia's expanding stomach, which she pretended to hate, but didn't fight against. Claudia would lie in bed, reading a book or playing on her tablet, and Steve would curl up beside her and tell their unborn child rambling stories. It was during one of these sessions, sometime around her twenty week mark, that Claudia felt the baby move inside her for the first time. It was just a quiver, but it was just enough to make Claudia lift her eyes from the page she was reading. Wrinkling her brow, she held her breath and lay as still as possible until it happened again. When it did, she placed her book to the side, and she wordlessly slid her hand down the bed until it met Steve's, cutting him off midsentence as she lifted his hand and placed it on her belly.

"Claud, what's going on?" Steve asked in confusion, but he received his answer a moment later when the baby moved under his touch. His whole face lit up in excited amazement, and Claudia felt a wave of unadulterated love sweep over her. She honestly couldn't believe just how lucky she was to be loved by this wonderful man.

"Jinksy," she whispered, and Steve turned his gaze towards her face. Claudia blushed.

"I'm scared," she admitted, chewing on her lower lip. Smiling softly, Steve took Claudia's hands in his and pulled her into a sitting position. He rubbed one hand gently across her rounded stomach as he cupped her cheek with the other.

"Claud, I'm terrified," he told her, and Claudia's eyes widened in surprise. Steve gave her a rueful smile before he continued.

"You know that my father was never a good role model," Steve murmured. "I'm kind of glad that he took off before I had the chance to think that how he acted was how a dad was supposed to be. But that does mean that I don't really have any experience of my own to draw on."

Claudia kissed the thumb that was lightly tracing her lips.

"I'm ok, because we're in this together, my love," Steve told Claudia, his eyes never leaving hers. "Keep the faith, remember?"

Shaking her head as she chuckled, Claudia leaned forward and kissed Steve more passionately than she had for very long while. He really was her partner, in every sense of the word, and it was a relief to know he'd never leave her side. After they finally came clean with each other, and started sharing again, Claudia finally took the time to get excited about her pregnancy as Steve was. She let Steve take a thousand pictures of her rapidly expanding belly, went shopping with Myka to perfect her Claudia-specific maternity wardrobe, and stopped arguing with Artie when he forced her to sit down and put her feet up. They were prepping to set up a nursery in Steve's old bedroom when Artie arrived at the B&B one day with a grave expression on his face. Claudia sunk into an armchair and stared at him with a forlorn expression as he sadly delivered the news that the Regents had come together to discuss Claudia's situation. Her pregnancy was an unprecedented event for the Warehouse, but it was the dangers that made that statement so that had led the Regents to reach the unhappy decision that Claudia was to take extended leave from being an agent. Her future role as Caretaker, of course, was never in question, and it would be there for Claudia to step into when the time called, but it had been agreed by the Regents that the Warehouse was not a place to raise a child. Claudia couldn't help but cry at the news, which set Artie off, and it wasn't long before the whole team was in tears. The hardest part for Claudia was that in all reality she actually agreed with the decision, even if it broke her heart to accept it. She could see that Steve was also shaken by the instruction, but even though no mention had been made of Steve also having to resign, he made it clear to Claudia that he was willing to move wherever she wanted, as long as she was happy. They considered South Dakota for a while, and looked into relocating to Sacramento to be closer to Claire, but in the end the lure of having the loving arms of Steve's mother close by was enough to lead them to settling on making their home in New Jersey. The Regents worked their magic, and found Steve an open position with the ATF, and just like that, they were out of excuses, and it was time to say goodbye to the Warehouse. While Steve packed up the last of their belongings back at the B&B, Claudia drove her Prius out to the Warehouse one final time, and took her place in the seat opposite from Artie at his chess table. Wordlessly, Claudia leaned forward and moved her first pawn forward. Neither of them spoke as they played, but both shared a fond smile when Artie moved his bishop into place and looked at Claudia over the top of his glasses.

"Checkmate," he said gruffly.

"You still got it, old man," Claudia teased with a wry grin. Artie reached forward and covered her hand with his.

"I'm really very proud of you," he murmured, his voice cracking as he spoke. "You have grown into a remarkable young woman."

Claudia hauled herself out of her seat so that she could give her mentor the best hug that she could. They didn't need to say anything else. Claudia made sure that as she left the Warehouse, she gave the doorframe a gentle reassuring pat. She'd be back, they both knew that, but for the time being it was time for her to focus on her family.

* * *

Their house in New Jersey, which Claudia loved more than she actually thought possible, was conveniently located only a few blocks away from Steve's mother. With Steve's help and input, Claudia set about putting their house in order, surprising herself with her enthusiastic nesting. As a couple, they spent the most time perfecting the nursery, and Claudia still smiled fondly when she thought of the nights Steve spent balancing on a ladder painting walls while his wife perched in a nest of pillows on the floor, eating peanut butter cups and pointing out spots that Steve had missed. Time seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, Claudia was woken one night by the sharp sting of her first contractions. It was the middle of the night and raining heavily, but for the first time in their relationship, it was Steve who went into panic mode, and Claudia who had to talk him down, especially when he attempted to bundle her into his arms and carry her down the stairs. Over twelve hours later and in a world of excruciating hurt, Claudia wasn't quite so calm, as Steve could well attest, but in a sudden blur of hollered expletives and incomparable pain, Aria Olivia Donovan-Jinks finally made her arrival. With just one look at the tiny squalling face of her daughter, Claudia fell completely and entirely in love. The string of sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and days where it seemed Aria was determined to prove that her lung capacity could help her live up to her musical name did nothing to dull Claudia's affection for her child. She tried not to make it too obvious to Steve, but Claudia actually enjoyed her middle of the night sessions with Aria. Shifting in a motion that now seemed practiced, Claudia adjusted her clothing again as her daughter finished feeding, and then felt a smile creep over her features as Aria gazed up at her mother with big blue eyes that seemed to be stolen directly from her father. Claudia began to sing a soft lullaby, and Aria huffed out a contented breath as her eyes began to slide closed. Leaning her head back as she sang, Claudia flicked her gaze towards the doorway, and an affectionate smile formed on her lips as she found Steve watching her with adoration plastered across his face. When she was confident her daughter had returned to sleep, Claudia rose from the rocking chair and placed the baby back in her crib, stroking her cheek one last time before she stepped away. Steve held out an arm, and Claudia burrowed against his side as his hand slid around her shoulders.

"This is my favourite part of the night," Steve murmured, and Claudia flicked her eyes upward to glance at him.

"What, watching me do all the work?" she teased, turning in Steve's arms so that she could wrap her arms around his waist. Steve chuckled as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Claudia smiled up at him.

"Tell you a secret?" Steve offered softly. Claudia cocked her head curiously.

"I never imagined this is where my life would end up," Steve admitted, glancing towards Aria's crib before focusing back on Claudia. "Honestly, it still doesn't seem real."

"Oh, believe me, there are parts of my body that can attest to how real this is," Claudia interrupted with a sarcastic eye roll. Steve smirked at her.

"Claudia, my love, I'm trying to tell you how happy I am," he murmured with a slight hint of exasperation. "I love Aria, and I love you. Everything is perfect." He slid a hand across the small of Claudia's back as he kissed her gently. Claudia's lips twitched in a lopsided grin as she pulled away from the kiss.

"I thought I wanted the exact opposite of everything I have right now," she confessed. "You took me by surprise, Steve, and as for her," she paused to glance toward where Aria slept on, "well, she's got every piece of my heart. I never knew I could be this happy."

The kiss Steve gave her was far more intensely passionate than his last, and Claudia found herself gasping for breath.

"How long until our daughter wakes up again?" Steve asked huskily.

"Couple of hours," Claudia rasped back.

"Well then, Mrs Jinks," Steve murmured, his eyes flashing dark with passion, "what do you say we head back to bed?"

"Donovan-Jinks," Claudia corrected him with a teasing smile, and then stifled a squeal of laughter as Steve hoisted her up over his shoulder and carried her back towards their bedroom. This was it, what she never knew she always wanted. She'd thought her life was all mapped out, but this unexpected detour had brought her more joy than she'd ever thought possible. Claudia could only hope that one day her own daughter would know the same happiness her mother had found, in the most astonishing and beautiful of places.


End file.
